Saturday, November 12, 2011

Dukung SEA Games, XL Siapkan Dua Jalur 3G

Dukung SEA Games, XL Siapkan Dua Jalur 3G

Jakarta - XL Axiata tak mau ketinggalan momentum pesta olahraga SEA Games XXVI di Palembang dan Jabodetabek. Jaringan seluler di sekitar lokasi pun diperkuat, termasuk untuk akses data 3G yang sudah menggunakan dua kanal.

"Khusus di Kota Palembang, XL sudah melakukan persiapan jaringan dengan memindahkan transmisinya menggunakan Over Internet Protocol," kata GM Network Operation XL Sumbagsel, Hengky Witarsa, Sabtu (12/11/2011).

Langkah ini, kata dia, memungkinkan kapasitas data yang akan disalurkan jauh lebih besar dari sebelumnya.

Hengky menambahkan, sejumlah site XL di Kota Palembang sudah menggunakan second carrier, yaitu dua jalur 3G per Base Transceiver Station (BTS). Sehingga jaminan kecepatan yang didapatkan pelanggan akan jauh lebih baik.

Di Kota Palembang dan sekitarnya XL memiliki 507 BTS dan 60 BTS di antaranya sudah menggunakan jaringan 3G. Kualitas jaringan yang baik akan mendukung kebutuhan komunikasi baik voice, SMS, dan juga akses data yang pasti sangat dibutuhkan selama berlangsungnya pesta olahraga tersebut.

Masih terkait dengan dukungan penyediaan jaringan yang berkualitas bagi penyelenggaraan pesta olahraga ini, XL juga menandatangani nota kesepahaman dengan Kepolisian Daerah Sumatera Selatan.

Dalam kerjasama ini, XL akan memberikan bantuan kepada pihak Polda Sumatera Selatan untuk pengamanan dari telekomunikasi. Salah satunya routing panggilan darurat 112 dari ponsel pelanggan XL yang langsung tersambung dengan unit-unit di kepolisian daerah Sumatera Selatan.

Panggilan darurat 112 dari ponsel ini, dapat diakses langsung oleh masyarakat dan penggguna XL apabila ingin melaporkan tindak kejahatan secara langsung kepada pihak kepolisian. Melalui kerjasama ini, kedua pihak berharap akan bisa memaksimalkan pengamanan selama dan setelah penyelenggaraan event besar ini.



( rou / rns )

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Intel Kembangkan Chip Baru untuk Tablet

Intel Kembangkan Chip Baru untuk Tablet

Jakarta - Intel saat ini tengah bekerja menggarap CPU line terbarunya yang dirancang secara eksklusif untuk tablet.

Dilaporkan Tech Radar dan dikutip detikINET, Sabtu (11/12/2011), prosesor tablet terbaru Intel akan secara khusus fokus pada thermal design power (TDP) dan performa.

Intel tampaknya tertarik untuk ambil bagian lebih di pasar CPU mobile untuk smartphone dan tablet. Perusahaan yang berpusat di Santa Clara, California, Amerika Serikat (AS) ini tengah giat-giatnya menggarap prosesor baru.

September silam, bocor informasi mengenai chip dengan nama kode Medfield yang kabarnya akan diperkenalkan Intel tahun depan. Chip ini dilaporkan akan secara langsung ditujukan bagi aplikasi handset.

Namun selanjutnya, berhembus kabar bahwa Intel untuk sementara berhenti mengembangkan Medfield dan sebagai gantinya, menggarap chip baru yang nantinya akan secara khusus digunakan untuk tablet.

Dalam pengembangan setiap chip terbarunya, Intel juga terus berupaya agar prosesornya bisa mengurangi konsumsi daya. Tujuan Intel saat ini adalah mengurangi konsumsi daya hingga 10 watt pada dua tahun mendatang.

Mengutip narasumber internal Intel yang menolak disebutkan namanya, kabarnya Intel juga akan meluncurkan chipset Saltwell 32nm, Silvermont 22nm dan Airmont 14nm dalam tiga tahun ke depan.



( rns / rou )

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Gandeng LG, Google Siapkan Google TV Terbaru Awal 2012

Gandeng LG, Google Siapkan Google TV Terbaru Awal 2012

Jakarta - Google dan LG Electronics kemungkinan besar akan memperkenalkan TV digital dengan software milik sang raksasa internet pada Januari. Produk terbarunya ini akan dipamerkan di ajang Consumer Electronics Show (CES) di Las Vegas, Amerika Serikat (AS).

Dilansir Business Week dan dikutip detikINET, Sabtu (12/11/2011) berdasarkan keterangan dari narasumber internal LG yang enggan disebutkan namanya, produk ini akan menjadi model pertama LG dengan perangkat Google TV.

Google sendiri tengah berupaya membangun koalisi untuk memperkuat produk TV digitalnya tersebut. Agar tak ketinggalan dengan Apple, raksasa internet ini juga melakukan beberapa pembaruan pada software Google TV.

Dengan menyertakan LG, produsen TV terbesar kedua di dunia, Google berharap bisa menggairahkan lagi bisnis TV digitalnya. Seperti diketahui, Google pertama kali meluncurkan Google TV pada 2010 bekerjasama dengan Sony dan Logitech yang memproduksi perangkat set-top box. Sayangnya, penjualan perangkat tersebut tidak menggembirakan. Logitech bahkan dikabarkan memutuskan mengundurkan diri. Tapi hal ini tak menyurutkan semangat Google.

"Versi pertama Google TV tidak sempurna. Namun dengan meluncurkannya, telah memberikan kesempatan kami untuk belajar," kata Mario Queiroz, Vice President Product Management Google.

Senada dengan Queiroz, Vincent Dureau selaku Director Engineering Google mengatakan mereka kini bekerja keras untuk mengembangkan Google TV lebih baik lagi melalui setiap update yang dilakukan.

Queiroz dan Dureau mengatakan tampilan interface Google TV lebih sederhana. Home screen yang dapat diatur sesuai keinginan, membantu pengguna menemukan konten favorit mereka dengan cepat. Di dalam area 'all apps', pengguna bisa melihat shortcut sama seperti yang mereka lihat di ponsel dan tablet Android.



( rns / rns )

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Apple Akui Masalah Baterai Belum Rampung

Apple Akui Masalah Baterai Belum Rampung

Jakarta - Apple mengakui bahwa update iOS 5.0.1 yang baru dirilisnya kemarin belum sepenuhnya merampungkan masalah daya tahan baterai. Update ini disebutkan Apple, baru bekerja pada beberapa pengguna.

Seperti diketahui Apple merilis update iOS 5 kemarin, sebagai jawaban atas keluhan yang dilontarkan pengguna mengenai borosnya baterai di perangkat berbasis iOS 5, terutama iPhone 4S. Namun seperti dilaporkan konsumen melalui website Apple, hal itu rupanya masih berlanjut.

"Update iOS terbaru di antaranya ditujukan untuk membenahi masalah daya tahan baterai yang dialami konsumen pengguna perangkat iOS 5. Namun kami tetap menginvestigasi masalah ini," demikian pernyataan Apple seperti dilansir Mashable dan dikutip detikINET, Sabtu (12/11/2011).

Sejak pekan lalu, pengguna iPhone 4S melaporkan bahwa baterai di handset mereka habis dengan cepat. Teknisi Apple pun dikabarkan menginvestigasi masalah ini dan menghubungi konsumen yang terkena dampaknya.

Selanjutnya, Apple dengan segera merilis iOS 5.0.1. Update ini menambal kerentanan iOS 5, termasuk perbaikan pada celah yang menyebabkan baterai cepat habis.

Perbaikan lainnya adalah penambahan multitasking gesture pada iPad original, mengoreksi masalah pada dokumen di Cloud dan meningkatkan kemampuan pengenal suara bagi pengguna yang berlokasi di Australia.

Terdapat pula tambalan keamanan yang ditujukan pada dua celah yang potensial memperlihatkan data pribadi saat mengunjungi situs 'jahat'.



( rns / rns )

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Boros Baterai iPhone 4S Masih Berlanjut

Boros Baterai iPhone 4S Masih Berlanjut

Jakarta - Kendati Apple sudah merilis update sistem operasi (OS) iOS 5 untuk memperbaiki daya tahan baterai di iPhone 4S, konsumen Apple melaporkan masalah tersebut masih berlanjut.

Melalui website Apple, para pengguna handset tersebut menuliskan keluhan mereka dan menyebutkan bahwa update yang dirilis Apple kemarin tidak memperbaiki masalah.

Seperti diketahui, kritikan mengenai cepat habisnya perangkat berbasis iOS 5, terutama iPhone 4S ramai terdengar sejak pekan lalu. Mereka mengeluh baterai perangkat cepat habis bahkan ketika tidak sedang digunakan.

Apple lantas menginvestigasi laporan tersebut dan merilis update iOS 5. Update ini berisi tambalan pada lima kerentanan iOS 5, termasuk tentu saja perbaikan pada celah yang menyebabkan baterai cepat habis.

"Tampaknya update ini tidak menyelesaikan masalah. Saya langsung mengupdatenya kemarin. Setelah itu, saya menggunakannya untuk menelepon selama 35 menit dan berinternet 10 menit. Hasilnya, level baterai ponsel drop dari 78 persen menjadi 55 persen. Bukan ini yang saya inginkan dari Apple. Steve Jobs pasti menangis dari atas sana," tulis seorang konsumen yang kesal.

Beberapa pengguna lain bahkan berspekulasi bahwa masalah boros baterai ini bukan terkait dengan software, melainkan hardware perangkat itu sendiri.

Dilansir Forbes dan dikutip detikINET, Sabtu (12/11/2011), keluhan yang ditumpahkan pengguna Apple menjadi gambaran umum masalah smartphone yang paling penting saat ini. Karena jika mau ditilik, masalah daya tahan baterai menimpa hampir semua smartphone. Ini mengingat perangkat tersebut, dengan layar besar dan notifikasi konstan menjadi sangat haus daya dan terus menerus bekerja.




( rns / rns )

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Google Acquisitions Beef Up Google+, Chrome

CEO Larry Page has built a reputation for making quick decisions to help his company compete in various markets. This week, Page decided to bet on two start-ups to help Google compete with Facebook and Firefox.

On Thursday, Google confirmed that it is purchasing Palo Alto social networking firm Katango and San Francisco browser technology startup Apture. Similar to Circles, Katango helps social networkers group contacts.

"Very excited to confirm that we've just acquired Katango!" Google vice president of Products Bradley Horowitz wrote on Google+. "In the earliest days of Google+, I alluded to the fact that we had big plans for Circles. Are you ready for some magic in your Circles? These folks are magicians!"

Happy VCs

Kleiner Perkins took a chance on Katango. The startup was KP's first to benefit from KP's $250 million social media fund. Katango is the brainchild of a group of Stanford PhDs with deep roots in artificial intelligence. They've applied their theoretical learning to create a complex algorithmic solution to a very real problem: organizing and sorting through a flood of contacts and content social networks generate.

"Katango was founded a little over a year ago to develop social algorithms that improve people's online social interaction," the firm wrote in a notice on its web site. "We're excited to join the Google+ team and carry on fulfilling that mission. Google+ is seeing tremendous momentum, so it's a perfect time to join and make Circles smarter for millions of people."

Rob Enderle, principal analyst at The Enderle Group, sees the Katango acquisition as a necessary move for Google. The lack of interest from Google execs and lack of investment into the product has troubled him given what's at stake. Google failed with its Buzz social network Relevant Products/Services offering.

"Google Chairman Eric Schmidt didn't bother to join Google+ until recently. This was Google's high profile fight against Facebook and it seemed that they fundamentally didn't care," Enderle said. "Now Google is starting to invest in it again. We'll see if isn't too little too late."

A Multimedia Chrome?

Enderle feels better about Google Chrome. According to Netmarketshare, Chrome is in third place with 17.6 percent, after Microsoft Relevant Products/Services's Internet Explorer with 52.6 percent and Firefox with 22.5 percent. Apture could help Chrome turn even more heads.

Founded in 2007, Apture works to transform flat web pages into interactive multimedia experiences. With Apture technology, readers can readers to see and hear the ideas on the page.

"After enhancing more than a billion pages with our products, we think now is the best time to expand our efforts with another team just down the road that shares our vision of making the web better," the Apture team wrote in an announcement on its web site. "That's right -- we've been acquired by Google and will be joining the Chrome team to continue driving innovation and creating a better user experience on the web."
 

Google launches tools for veterans, families and friends

Google For Veteransa

By Helen A.S. Popkin

"There are almost 22 million military veterans in the United States today and millions more around the world," writes Google’s Chief Legal Officer David Drummond in a Google+ post announcing the new website Google For Veterans, as well a Veteran's Channelon YouTube. Launched on Veterans Day, the new services offer "some new tools to help these vets —and their families — find new ways of connecting online."a

"My father was a Tuskegee Airman and a veteran of WWII and Vietnam, so it's important to me that Google supports veterans," Drummond adds. "I'm proud of the work we're doing on this front."  a

Built by Google employees who served in the military, or have loved ones who do, Google For Veterans offers tools for veterans transitioning to civilian life, those who are still deployed, as well as their families back home.a

Much of the site is composed of pre-existing Google tools, including Google Docs, Calendar, Gmail, Picasa and Google Maps, which Google encourages site members to use to record their military experiences. Building a resume, tracking investments and connecting with fellow veterans are also encouraged.a

Similar features are offered in the family section of the site, which includes links to information on veteran issues and peer support, and tools to memorialize loved ones. a

The website links to Google's Veteran Channel on YouTube, where users are welcomed with a message from first lady Michelle Obama. The channel offers videos on transition tips and invites veterans to share videos in which they discuss their experiences, and invites civilians to post questions and tributes.a

As Google notes, information uploaded via Google For Veterans is stored in "the cloud," which stores content on the Internet (rather than a single computer) so that it can be accessed via logon from any device. Privacy settings vary between Google products, and since the site offers a variety, users should note they may need to adjust settings for each one. The Google Privacy Center, linked from the Google homepage, offers videos explaining policies and practices.a

Related stories: a

Veterans Hackday kicks off on 'Nerd New Year' Military more and more finds crowd sourcing is the answer Google now lets you rate images +1

Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on Twitter and/or Facebook. Also, Google+.a

VIA debuts Dual Core Pico-ITX Motherboard

VIA Technologies, a company that used to be at the forefront of microprocessor design in its heyday, seems to be trying  to make a resurgence. With that in mind, on Wednesday they revealed the first ever dual core pico-ITX motherboard. The company has managed to squeeze in a respectable 1GHz VIA Eden X2 CPU and a VIA VX900H Media System Processor on to a minute board measuring a little less than 4.0” x 3”.

Four gigabytes of DDR3 memory, HD audio and 1080p HDMI video, VGA and 24-bit LVDS display connectivity all feature. The rear panel boasts one HDMI and one VGA port each, two USB 2.0 ports as well as a GigaLAN port. Couple that with onboard pin headers to gain five more USB 2.0 ports, an LPC connector, and SMBus connector, PS/2 support, audio jacks, LVDS, two UART ports and four pairs of DIO ports, and you have a mighty impressive little package indeed.

The VIA ChromotionHD 2.0 video engine is also present for high-performance HD video decoding, and according to VIA,

 ”The VIA ChromotionHD 2.0 engine provides advanced filtering and cutting edge post-processing to perform ultra smooth decoding of H.264, MPEG-2, VC-1, WMV9, and HDCP for Blu-ray content protection providing smooth playback of the most demanding multimedia titles at resolutions up to 1080p without incurring a heavy CPU load. The VIA EPIA-P900 features the VIA Vinyl VT2021, a 10 channel HD audio codec, delivering outstanding sound quality and support for Blu-ray and HD DVD Audio Content Protection.”

“The VIA Pico-ITX allows embedded system design to pack unprecedented levels of performance into even smaller form factors,” said Epan Wu Head of the VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The new VIA EPIA-P900 opens up exciting new possibilities for innovation in ultra compact embedded designs.”

This new baby looks set to spark a new embedded-solutions race, with traditional industry giants AMD and Intel coming under heavy fire from Nvidia’s and ARM’s embedded SoC solutions, which are massively more efficient and cost-effective than mobile versions of traditional AMD/Intel architectures. Embedded solutions like VIA’s are the only way forward, it seems, and a revolution in HTPC and tablet PC design, and hence gaming technology, is underway.

Here’s hoping VIA makes it with their EPIA-P900.

No information about actual consumer interest (read pricing or availability) was given, so stay tuned for the update.

You can visit the official site here.

Did Apple's software update fix your iPhone battery?

Applea

By Rosa Golijan

As promised, Apple released iOS 5.0.1 — an update to its iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch operating system — on Thursday. This particular software update supposedly included a fix for bugs affecting iPhone battery life. But did it really change anything? Are iPhone batteries around the world magically fixed now?a

Yes, no, and maybe — it's a bit too soon to tell.a

Based on the experiences of several msnbc.com writers as well as their friends and family members, things appear to be fine dandy after iOS 5.0.1. Most are average to heavy iPhone users and still manage to get at least a day's charge out of their devices. The update, if anything, slowed an already tolerable battery drain rate.a

But that's not the case for everyone. A look at posts in Apple's Support Communities suggests that many still feel that their iPhone batteries are draining far too quickly — and some even believe that the issue became worse after the iOS 5.0.1 update.a

How is it that different individuals are seeing such different results? Well, for starters: We've all got different settings, apps, and iPhone usage habits. Those alone would account for significant differences in battery life. (Not to mention that some folks may be using little tricks — which apply even after the update — to extend battery life.)a

Live PollHow's your iPhone battery life after iOS 5.0.1?a

Significantly better!Worse. Way worse.It's as bad as before.It's fine -- it was never bad to begin with.What's iOS 5.0.1? I haven't updated my iPhone yet!VoteView Results167415Significantly better!13%167416Worse. Way worse.11%167417It's as bad as before.20%167418It's fine -- it was never bad to begin with.28%167419What's iOS 5.0.1? I haven't updated my iPhone yet!28%VoteTotal Votes: 236a

And of course there's the fact that iOS 5.0.1 was publicly released just yesterday. That means many folks barely had time to fully charge and discharge their iPhones (meaning that they didn't take them all the way from 100 percent to zero). And that's the only way you can really tell how well things are going — not by glancing at your screen and screaming because the battery percentage dropped since the last time you looked.a

However, there may be other issues afoot, glitches with certain devices that are causing exceptionally bad battery life, and that's something we'll watch for in the forums in the coming weeks.a

No matter how you're judging your battery life though, we want to hear about your experiences. Vote in the poll on the right or tell us in the comments below. Did Apple's software update fix your iPhone battery? How have things changed?a

Related stories:a

The most evil prank you could pull on an iPhone user Apple releases iOS 5.0.1, includes iPhone battery fix App adds self-checkout and pickup options to Apple Store

Want more tech news, silly puns or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on Twitter, subscribing to her Facebook posts, or circling her on Google+.a

Friday, November 11, 2011

DPR akan Bantu Karyawan Telkomsel

DPR akan Bantu Karyawan Telkomsel

Jakarta - Aksi demonstrasi dan mogok kerja yang dilakukan Serikat Pekerja Telkomsel (Sepakat), mengundang perhatian Komisi IX DPR RI. Komisi yang membidangi masalah tenaga kerja, kependudukan, kesehatan dan transmigrasi ini berniat akan membantu permasalahan Sepakat.

"Hearing itu merupakan proaktif dari komisi IX, terutama salah satu anggotanya pak Arif Minardi. Beliau aktif menanyakan kami dan menyatakan akan membantu," kata Ketua Umum Sepakat, Achsinanto Risanto, Jumat (11/11/2011).

Pada intinya, disebutkan Achsinanto bahwa dalam diskusi yang berlangsung kurang lebih empat jam itu, para anggota Komisi IX ingin mengetahui dengan jelas duduk permasalahannya.

"Diskusi kami membahas langkah apa kira-kira yang harus dilakukan. Beliau (Arif) menyampaikan agar teman-teman Sepakat bisa melakukan konsolidasi lebih lanjut," terangnya.

Setelah pertemuan ini, sebut Achsinanto, Sepakat akan kembali melakukan diskusi internal seperti yang disarankan. Pria berkacamata ini belum dapat memastikan kapan hasil diskusi lanjut itu bisa disampaikan ke publik.

"Ini sebenarnya adalah pertemuan kedua. Jadi pada prisipnya, setelah tahu permasalahannya, mereka siap membantu kami menyelesaikan masalah dengan pihak-pihak terkait. Ini untuk menghindari pemelintiran berita," pungkasnya.




( rns / rou )

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Serangan Phishing Incar Fans Apple

Serangan Phishing Incar Fans Apple

Jakarta - Vendor keamanan Trend Micro mengidentifikasi adanya aktivitas phishing (pencurian data sensitif) yang membidik para pengguna layanan dan produk Apple. Modus yang digunakan masih tradisional, yakni via email.

Email palsu yang mengaku-ngaku datang dari Apple tersebut tertulis ingin menginformasikan adanya update data yang harus dilakukan pengguna.

"Tim riset keamanan Trend Micro, setelah menyelidiki email tersebut, telah membuktikan adanya aksi phishing yang mengatasnamakan Apple," tukas Trend Micro, dalam keterangannya, Jumat (11/11/2011).

Setelah pesan dibuka, Trend Micro, lalu membandingkannya dengan email serupa kiriman dari Apple yang asli.

Dan dua email yang nyaris sama sepintas itu, ternyata salah satunya adalah menjebak dengan menginput link yang meminta Anda untuk memasukkan data pribadi melalui situs Apple ID buatan si phisher yang ternyata memiliki iklan di bagian bawah halaman.

"Dan ketika Anda terjebak, tanpa disadari Anda akan diminta memasukkan username dan password, yang akan dicuri oleh mereka," lanjut Trend Micro.

Satu tanda yang paling mudah untuk mengenali mana email asli atau palsu dari Apple adalah dengan melihat alamat pengirim email tersebut.

Sebab dalam kasus ini, email palsu yang mengaku dari Apple, dikirim dari alamat do_not_reply@itunes.com via smtp.com. "Gmail juga mendeteksi bahwa email itu dikirim menggunakan layanan email pihak ketiga," Trend Micro menandaskan. Berikut contoh email palsu untuk fans Apple tersebut.







( ash / fyk )

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Five tips for getting the most out of 'Skyrim'

Bethesdaa

Setting foot into "Skyrim" for the first time? Game director Todd Howard has some helpful suggestions.a

By Winda Benedetti

One of the year's most anticipated games — the "Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" — has just launched. This medieval-themed role-playing game offers up a vast virtual world to explore, an epic adventure to experience and a stunning 300-plus hours of possible gameplay.a

But having already spent a bit of time in "Skyrim," I can say from experience that jumping into this gargantuan game can feel a bit ... overwhelming. There's so much to do, so much to see and so many choices to make, you can't help but wonder, "What should I be doing?"a

Of course, there is no should. "Skyrim" — the fifth game in the "Elder Scrolls" series — is all about following your own path and living out your own personal fantastical journey.a

Still, with "Skyrim" putting so much before you, one can't help but want a little guidance.a

While there is a 656-page "Skyrim" strategy guide players can consult, for something a bit more succinct I went straight to the source. I asked game director Todd Howard of Bethesda Game Studios what he would tell players — those new to the "Elder Scrolls" series and veterans alike — to help them get the most out of their game.a

Here are five tips he offered to those about to step into "Skyrim."a

Take your timeWhen Skyrim starts, you'll find yourself launched into the thick of things. There's a civil war afoot and you've been caught up in the middle of it. Meanwhile, lo and behold, dragons have also returned to the land and, bam, you'll come face-to-face with one of the fiery beasts.  a

At this point, you've been teased with a wee taste of the story that lies ahead and it's fairly easy to discern which way to go if you want to follow that main plot line. But the nice thing is, you don't have to follow it ... at least not yet.a

Once you get past the introductory action and basic character creation, you can set out in almost any direction you'd like. And that's what Howard suggests that new players and veteran players alike do.a

"Take your time initially," he says. "I wouldn’t dissuade anybody from doing the main quest, but I think my preference is, when somebody first plays the game, that they just wander initially because I think that's when they’re going to start making their own story and be like 'ok this is what interests me.'a

"That’s what I think is special about the game: being able to explore at your own pace," he says. "The game has a lot of parts and if you just kind of take it easy and explore for your first couple of hours you’ll find it quite rewarding."a

If you want to get ahead...Of course, if you want to jump into the game at a gallop and level up quickly, Howard has this to say:a

"The best way to get ahead is if you try to join a faction in the archetype that you're playing — whether that’s the College of Winterhold for mages, the Thieves Guild for thieves, or the Companions for warriors. Those are good avenues for those archetypes that will give you interesting things to do and make you more powerful."a

Where do you find these factions? Don't worry, it won't be long before a character in the game points you in the right direction.a

Bethesdaa

Play around with the different play stylesThe folks at Bethesda have taken what they learned from the previous "Elder Scrolls" game "Oblivion" as well as from their work on "Fallout 3" and revamped the character system for "Skyrim." What that means is, they've made it far easier to change up how you play the game as you go.a

For example, if you're unsure whether you want to be a magic-wielding mage, a sword-swinging warrior or stealthy thief, you will be relieved to know that, unlike in "Oblivion," you don't have to make a permanent decision. That is, in "Skyrim," you don't have to pick a specific class for your character to be at the outset. Instead, there are a variety of skills at your disposal — enchanting, archery or alchemy for example — and those skills that you enjoy and use will improve as you use them. Meanwhile, the new perks system will let you further enhance and fine tune those skills.a

With that in mind, Howard said, "I would say to try out the various play styles. A good way to start out is to get a weapon you like and put that in your right hand and get a spell that you like and put that in your left hand, because that will give you a taste of both. And then you can decide, 'oh I’m the kind of player who prefers doing magic or I’m the type of player who prefers doing more combat stuff."a

Do you really need that?If you're new to playing the "Elder Scrolls" games you'll find that, as you travel through this medieval world, there's lots of nifty stuff to find and keep and even sell for much-needed money. If you walk into a friend's house you may find that you have the option to take everything from potions and books to the household cups and dishes. Walk through a field and you can pick flowers. Head into a dungeon and you can grab skulls, weapons and ratty old clothing.a

But just because you can take something, doesn't mean you should.a

"Decide what you find is fun as far as what kind of character you want to play, whether it’s a warrior, mage or thief kind of role and then get the items that are going to work for you," Howard says.a

Sure, it may take some time to figure out which items you really need and which you don't. But being somewhat choosy will prevent you from wasting your time and prevent your character from getting weighed down by unnecessary garbage. It also just makes sense.a

"Those people who don’t play our games a lot, they jump in and they pick everything up," Howard said. "But it’s more like the real world. You don’t walk into your friend's office and take all of his pens and paper and books do you?"a

Take the time to look ... down When it comes to "Skyrim," there are so many quests and missions to undertake and so many fantastical foes to fight it's easy to get caught up in the action and intrigue right in front of your eyes.a

But try this: Stop for a moment and look down at the ground.a

"If you look down once in a while, there are certain wood boards or log stumps, and if you look at them closely you'll see ants crawling across them," Howard says. "99.9 percent of the people playing the game won't notice that, but we know it's there."a

And when you're done looking at the ants on the ground, take a moment to notice the gorgeous trees. Howard says they created an entirely new "tree system" so that the world's foliage is far more detailed than in any prior game.  And once you're done looking at the trees, check out the mountains that chew up the sky in the distance. Howard says they wrote a new system for creating those mountains — mountains that are not just distant backdrops, but peaks that you can approach and climb and explore.a

The level of detail that the developers at Bethesda have put into the entire world of "Skyrim" is absolutely stunning. In fact, "the entire world is built by hand," Howard points out.a

Whereas "Oblivion" featured a lot of randomly generated landscaping, for "Skyrim" a team of 30 artists spent three years crafting every nook and cranny in the game and they built the thousands of objects you'll find there — fireflies and dragonflies zinging through the air, fish swimming up streams that you can catch and cook and eat...a

If you really want to get the most out of your game, be sure to stop fighting dragons for just a moment and simply enjoy the scenery.a

"We obsessed over all the little details," Howard promises.a

For more game news, check out:a

Steam game service hacked, credit card theft investigated 'Modern Warfare 3' launch brings out the criminals, crazies Rumor: The next Xbox will arrive in 2012

Winda Benedetti writes about games for msnbc.com. You can follow her tweets about games and other things here on Twitter or join her in the stream here on Google+. And be sure to check out the In-Game Facebook page here.a

3 Power Supply Anyar dari OCZ

3 Power Supply Anyar dari OCZ

Jakarta - OCZ, salah satu pemain industri komponen komputer, baru saja menyegarkan lini produknya dengan merilis 3 varian baru untuk Power Supply Unit (PSU) yang diklaim lebih efisien.

Komputer dengan spesifikasi tinggi, sudah pasti membutuhkan catu daya yang kuat dan stabil dari sebuah unit PSU. Hal inilah yang membuat OCZ memperbarui lini produk mereka.

Ketiga produk yang tergabung dalam keluarga PC Power and Cooling itu terbagi dalam 3 versi, 400W, 500W, dan 600W dimana semuanya sudah menggunakan rail 12V , PFC Aktif, serta tingkat efisiensi hingga 85% dengan standart 80Plus Bronze pada desain modularnya.

"PC Power dan Cooling selalu memberikan performa dan keandalan dari pengguna yang membutuhkan solusi management daya untuk komputer mereka," kata Steve Lee, Senior Vice President of Power Management, OCZ Technology Group, dikutip detikINET dari techpowerup, Jumat (11/11/2011).

Generasi ketiga PSU ini diklaim memiliki masa pakai hingga 100 ribu jam, karena tiap komponennya dilapisi dengan pelindung khusus. Untuk harga versi paling tinggi produk ini, 600W, dibanderol mulai USD 90.




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Facebook Puas dengan Perubahan Google

Facebook Puas dengan Perubahan Google

Jakarta - Google terus memperbarui mesin pencariannya agar lebih sosial, termasuk menampilkan komentar Facebook di hasil pencarian. Facebook yang sempat mengkritik Google, mengaku puas mengetahui berbagai perubahan tersebut.

"Ini secara umum baik bagi para penerbit untuk mendapatkan keuntungan lebih bagi konten mereka, termasuk komentar di akun yang tampil di hasil pencarian Google," komentar juru bicara Facebook.

"Kami sangat puas mengetahui bahwa konten dari komentar di situs kami kini termasuk dalam hasil pencarian," tambahnya seperti dilaporkan The Daily Caller dan dikutip detikINET, Jumat (11/11/2011).

Perubahan dimungkinkan sejak Google memperbarui algoritma pencariannya, sehingga kode web yang digunakan dalam komentar bisa dicari dan diindeks di pencarian Google.

Berbagai pembaruan yang dilakukan Google juga merupakan jawaban mereka atas kritikan yang sempat dilontarkan Facebook baru-baru ini. Raksasa jejaring sosial itu mengklaim Google tidak menyediakan informasi yang diinginkan pengguna dan karenanya sebuah pencarian online ke depannya harus lebih sosial.

"Sebelum mencari di internet, Anda akan bertanya kepada teman mengenai rekomendasi mereka tentang sesuatu atau produk yang menarik untuk dibeli. Google tidak punya orang-orang yang merekomendasi sehingga mekanisme pencariannya tertinggal," kata Director Facebook Platform Ethan Beard.




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T-Mobile Adds Galaxy Tab 7 Plus To Tablet Portfolio

T-Mobile said Thursday that the wireless Relevant Products/Services carrier will begin selling Samsung's new Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus tablet Relevant Products/Services in its stores nationwide beginning next week. Through the addition of Samsung's updated 7-inch model, T-Mobile will be able to offer customers an entire portfolio of tablets with 7-inch, 9-inch, and 10-inch multi-touch displays.

"Consumers want a selection of affordable, highly mobile Relevant Products/Services tablets that can deliver the content they want virtually anywhere they go," said T-Mobile Vice President Jeremy Korst.

The Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus will have an initial post-rebate price of $250 when it debuts nationwide on Nov. 16. However, buyers with approved credit will also have to pay $10 per month on an interest-free basis for an additional 20 months to complete their purchase.

Amazon as well as Barnes & Noble are also rolling out color tablets of their own this month that will cost consumers substantially less. On the other hand, neither the Kindle Fire ($200) nor the new Nook Tablet ($250) offers a cellular connectivity Relevant Products/Services option.

Connectivity Options

T-Mobile is betting that many of its subscribers will be attracted to the Samsung tablet, which offers high-speed packet access Relevant Products/Services plus connectivity. As much as three times faster than a conventional HSPA connection, HSPA+ will give T-Mobile's tablet users the requisite speed bump for downloading multimedia files as well as meet the needs of business professionals who need to maintain a fast anywhere/anytime connection while on the go.

Tipping the scales at just 0.77 pounds, Samsung's svelte 7-inch model also offers a number of other connectivity options in addition to HSPA+, including Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi Relevant Products/Services (802.11 a/b/g/n). Also on tap is Wi-Fi Direct, which enables Wi-Fi devices to communicate with each other without the need for a wireless access point or hot spot.

What's more, the Samsung tablet offers voice Relevant Products/Services and video Relevant Products/Services call support without requiring the use of a headset. Also aboard is Samsung's full-touch user interface for mobile devices. TouchWiz enables new panning and tilt features by drawing upon the motion detection data Relevant Products/Services produced by the device Relevant Products/Services's built in accelerometer and gyroscope. (continued...)

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Modern Warfare 3 Terjual 9,3 Juta Kopi dalam Sehari

Modern Warfare 3 Terjual 9,3 Juta Kopi dalam Sehari

Jakarta - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 rupanya benar-benar dinantikan para pecandu game. Bayangkan saja, video game tersebut berhasil terjual 9,3 juta kopi dalam hari pertama pemasarannya.

Sebuah pencapaian mengagumkan yang membuat Modern Warfare 3 memecahkan rekor sebagai game dengan penjualan tertinggi di hari pertama. Menaklukkan rekor sebelumnya yang dipegang Black Ops dengan jumlah penjualan 7 juta unit.

Padahal Modern Warfare 3 mendapat persaingan sengit, terutama dari Battlefield 3 yang belum lama ini juga dipasarkan. Battlefield 3 terjual 5 juta kopi di minggu pertamanya.

Memang antuasiasme gamer pada Modern Warfare 3 terlihat luar biasa. Activision menyatakan 1,5 juta orang rela antre di seluruh dunia pada hari penjualan perdananya, 8 November lalu.

Dari sisi platform, penjualan Modern Warfare 3 berasal paling banyak dari Xbox 360 dengan 54%. Diikuti PS 3 dengan 42%, serta berikutnya di PC dan Wii. Demikian seperti detikINET kutip dari Dvice, Jumat (11/11/2011).




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Steam game service hacked, credit card theft investigated

Valvea

Valve says hackers have accessed a Steam database that held gamers' personal information.a

By Winda Benedetti

Valve Corporation has become the latest game company to fall victim to a major hacking intrusion that has left gamers' personal information and potentially even credit card numbers exposed.a

In a letter sent to users Thursday, Valve founder Gabe Newell said that, on Sunday, the company discovered that the community forums for its online gaming and distribution service — Steam — had been defaced. But Newell said that further investigation has now revealed that the intrusion "goes beyond the Steam forums" and into a Steam database filled with gamers' personal information.a

The popular Steam service, which distributes and manages over 1,800 games, has more than 35 million users across 237 countries.a

Though Newell did not say how many users may have been affected, he wrote:a

This database contained information including user names, hashed and salted passwords, game purchases, email addresses, billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. We do not have evidence that encrypted credit card numbers or personally identifying information were taken by the intruders, or that the protection on credit card numbers or passwords was cracked. We are still investigating. a

Newell told users that Valve — the company behind hit gaming franchises such as "Portal" and "Half-Life" — doesn't currently have any evidence of any credit card misuse, but he warned "you should watch your credit card activity and statements closely."a

He went on to say that a few forum accounts have been compromised. Because of that, all forum users will be required to change their passwords.a

Steam users first noticed something was awry on Sunday when promotional posts from a site called Fkn0wned.com, began appearing in the community forums.a

They read: "Ever wanted to dominate the servers you play on with guaranteed results, but you were too afraid to cheat because of ban risks? Visit Fkn0wned.com. It's safe, secure and undetected. Along with hacks, we've also got some general discussion sections, hacking tutorials and tools, porn, free giveaways and much more."a

But as word of the forum defacement spread, the Fkn0wned founder posted the following message on his site denying any responsibility: a

I didn't authorize anyone to do what happened so Fkn0wned shouldn't be held responsible. If a member performs illegal actions in our name, there's not much we can do about that other than to ask that member to stop. If a rival site is deliberately trying to bring us down by placing the attention of Valve's legal department on us, there's not much we can do about that either. It's how this scene works and I'll have to accept that. a

Valve has closed the Steam forums for the time being though Newell promised to reopen them "as soon as we can."a

"I am truly sorry this happened," he added. "And I apologize for the inconvenience."a

For more gaming news check out:a

'Modern Warfare 3' launch brings out the criminals, crazies Rumor: The next Xbox will arrive in 2012 Avert your eyes! 'Mass Effect 3' story leaked

Winda Benedetti writes about games for msnbc.com. You can follow her tweets about games and other things here on Twitter or join her in the stream here on Google+.  And be sure to check out the In-Game Facebook page here.a

SEA Games XXVI Andalkan Jaringan Indosat

SEA Games XXVI Andalkan Jaringan Indosat

Jakarta - Sebagai prestige partner, Indosat menyatakan siap untuk mendukung kesuksesan SEA GAMES XXVI melalui berbagai layanan telekomunikasi bagi seluruh peserta, panitia, dan delegasi selama acara berlangsung.

"Kesuksesan acara ini akan sangat membanggakan bangsa Indonesia sebagai tuan rumah yang menyelenggarakan pesta olahraga terbesar di Asia Tenggara," katat Director and Chief Wholesale & Infrastructure Indosat Fadzri Sentosa, Jumat (11/11/2011).

Ajang olahraga SEA Games XXVI dibuka hari ini di Palembang. Untuk mendukung acara itu, Indosat telah menyiapkan berbagai layanan telekomunikasi data dan broadcasting yang dibutuhkan, didukung jaringan backbone dan satelit Palapa D, serta sumber daya dan tim yang siap 24 jam membantu seluruh peserta di berbagai lokasi dan arena.

"Termasuk mendukung kegiatan komunikasi berbagai media dari seluruh dunia, sehingga ajang pesta olahraga ini bisa dinikmati oleh masyarakat di berbagai penjuru dunia," ujar Fadzri usai meninjau kesiapan sarana telekomunikasi Indosat di Palembang.

Indosat dengan teknologi serat optiknya menyediakan berbagai layanan telekomunikasi terintegrasi yang meliputi link dari International Broadcasting Center untuk siaran TV Broadcasting ke dalam dan luar negeri (Telecast) melalui jaringan satelit internasional Indosat, layanan mobile voice telephony atau selular, layanan roaming, layanan BlackBerry dan layanan pendukung lainnya.

"Kami juga menyediakan 25 ribu kartu perdana edisi SEA Games dengan pulsa Rp 10.000. Kartu Perdana ini diberikan secara gratis untuk para atlet, panitia, delegasi dan media," pungkas Fadzri.




( rou / rou )

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Amazon Increases Orders for Kindle Fire

Days before the release of its new Kindle Fire tablet Relevant Products/Services next week, Amazon is reportedly upping its initial production run through the end of this year to 5 million units. This is at least the second time the company has increased its order volume, and there are indications that pre-orders for the giant retailer's new product are strong.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos mentioned in his last call with analysts that "millions more" of the Fire were being ordered than was originally planned. According to estimates by eDataSource, a digital marketing firm, Amazon took 95,000 orders for the device Relevant Products/Services on the first day of pre-sales in September. While less than a third of the original iPad Relevant Products/Services's first day of sales last year, that level of volume is considered impressive.

2,000 Units Per Hour

Some Web reports, citing internal Amazon inventory documents, have said that the Fire is selling 2,000 units per hour, about 50,000 a day. At that rate, it would outsell the first month of sales for either Apple's iPad or iPad 2.

The Fire, retailing for $199, is scheduled to ship on Tuesday.

Given these sales numbers and increases in volume orders, there is speculation about whether the Fire is a competitor to the continued success of the category-dominating iPad. When the Fire originally was announced, many observers pegged it as an evolutionary step in e-reader development and as focused on competing with Barnes & Noble's Nook, and less as a direct iPad competitor.

But a new survey by consumer shopping site Retrevo indicates that, whether Amazon has intended or not, the Fire may be competing with the iPad for consumer dollars. In October, the site conducted a survey of more than 1,000 people, which showed that 69 percent were interested in buying a tablet this holiday season. Of that 69 percent, 44 percent said they were thinking about buying the Fire instead of the iPad, which starts at $499. About 12 percent chose the iPad, and the other 44 percent said they didn't know enough about the Fire.

Razors, Razorblades

The more Fires that Amazon sells, interestingly enough, the more Amazon loses, at least in the short run. Research firm iSuppli has estimated that the company loses about $20 on every tablet sold. Given Amazon's huge inventory of content -- e-books, movies, music, apps Relevant Products/Services, and more -- the company's strategy is to lose on the razor, make money on the razorblades.

Amazon's ability to make its money on content sales rather than hardware is what distinguishes it from tablet attempts by Research In Motion, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung and others.

This initial Fire model has Wi-Fi Relevant Products/Services but not 3G Relevant Products/Services, no camera or microphone, and only 8 GB of memory Relevant Products/Services. It comes with a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, the membership service that includes streaming video Relevant Products/Services, a lending library that includes bestsellers, and free two-day shipping. The company has developed a customized interface for Android Relevant Products/Services, which some observers have described as relatively easy to use.
 

Man calls 911 five times to complain about broken iPhone

The Smoking Guna

Part of the Kendall County Sheriff's Office report on a man who called 911 five times about his iPhone.a

By Suzanne Choney

It's one thing to get frustrated with our cellphones — we all do — and complain to the carrier or manufacturer. It's another to call 911, not once, not twice, but five times, to get attention.a

Michael Alan Skopec got attention, but not likely the kind he was looking for. The 48-year-old man, from Bristol, Illinois allegedly made the calls to complain "that his iPhone was not working," according to a Kendall County Sheriff's Office report shared by The Smoking Gun.a

Officers went out to Skopec's home around was 1 a.m. Wednesday to investigate, and said Skopec "refused to comply with orders from deputies," according to a sheriff's spokesperson, and he was arrested for obstructing or resisting a peace officer.a

No one knows what the iPhone issues were for Skopec, and chances are he won't be focusing on them too much in the days ahead. He was released on his own recognizance but is due in court Nov. 18.a

Related stories:a

Apple releases iOS 5.0.1, includes iPhone battery fix How to secure your iPhone's Internet connection Apple: Battery life fix coming for new iPhone

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.a

Kutcher's Penn State tweet angers fans

Kevin Winter / Getty Imagesa

Ashton Kutcher's tweet about Coach Joe Paterno's firing was not well-received by the Twitter community.a

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper

The Penn State scandal has been all over the news, and so to many, the firing last night of longtime coach Joe Paterno came as no surprise.a

Ashton Kutcher apparently hasn't been paying attention. And when you have nearly 8 and a half million followers, you need to know what's going on. Wednesday night, Kutcher tweeted "How do you fire Jo Pa?  #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste."a

And then the fans pushed back. Reaction was immediate and angry.a

"How do you bang skanks on your wedding anniversary?" Texan Jenny Johnson retorted, referring of course to the tabloid reports of Kutcher's supposed extramarital activities.a

Some had fun mocking the actor by mimicking the tweet. A user named Uncle Dynamite tweeted "Charles Manson didn't make parole AGAIN??!! And he was informed by REGISTERED MAIL??!! #insult @noclass."a

Justin Stangel, head writer and executive producer for the "Late Show with David Letterman,"addressed Kutcher's work with the Demi and Ashton Foundation, which seeks to help end child sex slavery. "Tell me if I'm right," Stangel tweeted at Kutcher. "You're against child trafficking unless it's with college football staff."a

Kutcher removed the tweet about a half-hour after he sent it, but of course the damage was done. He's apologized, however, posting that "As an advocate in the fight against child sexual exploitation, I could not be more remorseful for all involved in the Penn St. case."a

He also wrote, "As of immediately I will stop tweeting until I find a way to properly manage this feed. I feel awful about this error. Won't happen again."a

Some fans urged forgiveness for the actor's remark. Said one fan, the colorfully named Spazzberry103, "Everyone puts their foot in their mouth once in a while. Just have to pull it out and start walking forward again. Still luv ya!!"a

Related content:a

Penn State officials fire Paterno Timeline of Penn State scandal Bookmark our new Entertainment blog

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Twitter Overtakes TwitPic & Yfrog As #1 Photo Sharing Service

It’s always interesting for developers to create a third party service that enhances a popular service like Twitter. TwitPic and yFrog did the same thing, adding photo upload abilities to share on Twitter and gained massive popularity worldwide. But pretty soon, Twitter entered the game with their own native photo uploader in partnership with Photobucket and pretty much blindsided the third party developers. Now, looks like Twitter has overtaken them in terms of market share as well.

Photo search engine Skylines shares these stats and looks like Twitter has easily surpassed the share of TwitPic, yFrog or Instagram in just a matter of months. This was to be expected considering the way that Twitter implemented the new photo option into the mix. First off, the image uploaded on Twitter itself gets bigger visibility in the status itself which is something people will always prefer over third party links. That in itself is big reason for people to make a shift even though I’m a big fan of the way yFrog handles things on their end and their interface looks a lot more polished.

What service are you using for photo-sharing?

Karyawan Mogok, Telkomsel Tak Mau Intimidasi

Karyawan Mogok, Telkomsel Tak Mau Intimidasi

Jakarta - Manajemen Telkomsel menilai wajar aksi demo dan mogok massal yang dilakukan oleh ribuan karyawannya. Telkomsel pun tak mau mengintimidasi dengan melakukan pelarangan dalam bentuk ancaman maupun hasutan.

"Proses dialog masih terjadi. Belum final. Ketika kesepakatan belum tercapai, silakan kalau mau menyalurkan aspirasinya. Kami menghormati, tidak pada tempatnya untuk melarang untuk menyalurkan aspirasi," kata GM Coporate Communication Telkomsel, Ricardo Indra, di Kantor Pusat Telkomsel, Wisma Mulia, Jakarta, Kamis (10/11/2011).

Menurut Indra, di kalangan internal Telkomsel, tingkat kesadaran atas aksi hukum ini sangat dipahami oleh semua pihak. "Tidak ada intimidasi di dalam perusahaan. Masing-masing sadar hukum. Mayoritas hampir sarjana semua," kata dia.

Telkomsel yang memiliki 4.200 karyawan, terancam kehilangan sumber daya lebih dari separuh pekerjanya akibat aksi mogok. Menurut Indra, mogok yang disampaikan secara tertulis oleh Sepakat akan berlangsung 7 hari. Sementara versi dari Sekjen Sepakat Yogi Rizkian Bahar, mogok akan dilakukan hingga 30 Desember 2011.

Agar tak mengganggu layanan pelanggan, menurut Indra, bagi karyawan yang akan melakukan demo atau mogok kerja, hendak terlebih dulu meminta izin agar ritme kerjanya masih bisa berjalan.

"Mekanismenya, mereka lapor dulu ke atasannya. Tujuannya agar performansi pekerjaan tiap-tiap divisi tetap terjaga. Di sini kita juga tidak akan melarang maupun mengintimidasi," pungkasnya.



( rou / ash )

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Germs alert: TV remote control is the dirtiest item in your house

Keeping It Kleen released a new infographic on how dirty our tech gadgets around the house can be. There’s some genuinely alarming stuff in there, like the keyboard you’re using right now probably has 60 times more germs than your toilet seat! Or how’s about your beloved smartphone, which if you use in the loo, will most likely have some remains of poop.

No need to get paranoid, though, there are still many easy ways to remain germ free. Washing your hands regularly is obviously one easy solution, but you will also have to use additional things such as sanitary wipes, microfiber cloths, etc. for cleaning things.

Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL form advertising alliance

This Tuesday Microsoft Corp, Yahoo Inc and AOL Inc announced an alliance which will allow each of the three companies to sell each other their unsold premium advertising inventory according to Reuters.

Basically any unsold display ad spaces (big splash banners and expanding ads found on any website) can be traded among the three companies for the entire portfolio of websites that they have. You may think that this alliance will allow for cheaper rates and give each of the three giant companies an unfair advantage, but according to Rik van der Kooi, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Advertising Business Group, that’s not the case.

“We’re not reducing competition in any way, shape or form,” said van der Kooi during a news call. “As a result of transparency, the competition is only going to increase. (We) don’t expect any issues on that side.”

This alliance is obviously formed in the increasing ad presence and market share of both Google and Facebook, who have a pool of 1.6 billion users worldwide. Within the US itself, Facebook is said to have a total online advertising market share of 9.3 percent and Google of 16.3 percent by the end of this year.

“Other players in the industry are welcome to join us. This is not in response to anybody in particular,” van der Kooi added. “The fact that we’re joining together to offer this kind of access to quality — yet each with our own differentiated ad offerings — is something that will benefit the market as a whole.” Time will tell how Google and Facebook will respond to this move, if at all. There certainly cannot be a partnership between these two behemoths as they themselves are competing against each other for the social media space.

Bagaimana Mendesain Game di Android?

Bagaimana Mendesain Game di Android?

Jakarta -








Terkait desain game mobile, ada beberapa hal yang perlu jadi pertimbangan:

Game mobile biasanya dimainkan untuk mengisi waktu luang sambil menunggu atau di perjalanan, jadi disarankan membuat gameplay yang sederhana dan tidak membutuhkan waktu yang lama untuk bermain tapi membuat orang memainkan gamenya berkali-kali

Secara teknis, platform mobile pada umumnya memiliki berbagai keterbatasan hardware, mulai dari prosesor, memory, atau display (kecuali high-end gadget seperti smartphone atau tablet), sehingga dalam pembuatannya perlu seefisien mungkin

Untuk memulai membuat game untuk Android dengan menggunakan J2ME, bisa baca juga tutorial singkat di blog Agate: bagian 1, bagian 2, dan bagian 3.






( jsn / jsn )
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Amazon's Kindle Fire apps show Apple-like strategy

Amazona

By Wilson Rothman

Amazon revealed its app lineup for Kindle Fire Wednesday, and it's pretty exciting. Even though the tablet will be a vessel for Amazon's media, the company is promoting competitors such as Netflix, Rhapsody and Pandora, plus a slew of games, in a roster that shows how much Amazon is learning from Apple.a

What's surprising at first glance is that many of the apps that will be available to Kindle Fire buyers sound like they would directly compete with Amazon's own offerings. Who would pay for Amazon Prime for streaming video if they already have a Netflix subscription? Why buy songs when you have Pandora? But that's what has made Apple so successful. With the exception of iBooks, which may one day be a success but currently is a bit stalled, Apple's own media sales aren't hurt by the fact that there's a ton of great media apps for iPad. In fact, choice between quality services just makes the platform all the more alluring. (The $199 price tag doesn't hurt either.)a

Amazon is also playing Apple in the way it runs its Appstore for Android. Every app goes through a submission process before it can be released. The goal is to keep app quality high, even if it means keeping the quantity of apps down. Amazon is also interested in selling apps, rather than just giving away freebies. Most of Google's Android Market is free stuff, and that tends to make some game developers and content publishers skittish. Amazon is a very attractive alternative for them.a

That's why the launch lineup for Kindle Fire apps includes the most popular games from Zynga, EA, Gameloft, PopCap and Rovio, as well as cookbooks and kid's storybooks.a

The increased attention to money does have a downside: Some developers have expressed dismay at Amazon's financial agreements, particularly the Free App of the Day, which nets them zero dollars.a

Because of this, Amazon is not just an Apple wannabe, but an anti-Google. When Google launched its Honeycomb tablet platform, it had 15 or so native apps, and they're still hard to come by. If anything Kindle Fire is an example of how Android has failed in the tablet space. Everybody wants to consume content, but Amazon, like Apple, knows you have to put it in front of users or they won't know how, or where, to get it. a

Amazon didn't put Kindle Fire on Android because it likes Android. Amazon did it because it was the most logical way to build a platform that can compete with the iPad — and leave those other Android tablets in the dust.a

More on Kindle Fire from msnbc.com:a

Tablet war 2011: Nook vs. Kindle vs. iPad Amazon's Kindle Fire is a $199 Android tablet Amazon Prime adds PBS, prepping for Kindle Fire Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet vs. the iPad

Catch up with Wilson on Twitter at @wjrothman, or on Google+. And join our conversation on Facebook.a

Apple Takkan Bawa Siri ke iPhone Jadul

Apple Takkan Bawa Siri ke iPhone Jadul

Jakarta - Para pengguna iPhone versi lawas tampaknya harus kecewa karena tidak bisa 'berteman' dengan Siri. Apple kabarnya berencana hanya menghadirkan Siri di iPhone versi terbaru.

Siri memang menarik. Kemampuannya sebagai fitur voice assistant membuat pengguna iPhone 4S seolah-olah memiliki ponsel yang bisa berbicara. Ini membuat pengguna iPhone versi terdahulu iri dibuatnya.

Mengutip email dari Apple, Apple Insider melaporkan bahwa hingga saat ini Siri dibuat eksklusif hanya untuk digunakan di iPhone 4S. Email ini sekaligus juga sebagai respons Apple atas adanya celah di Siri yang baru-baru ini ramai dilaporkan.

"Divisi Engineering menjawab isu ini: Siri hanya dapat bekerja di iPhone 4S dan saat ini kami tidak punya rencana untuk membuatnya mendukung perangkat terdahulu," demikian bunyi email dari Apple yang dilansir AppleInsider dan dikutip detikINET, Kamis (10/11/2011).

Apple merilis Siri bulan lalu bertepatan dengan peluncuran iPhone 4S. Fitur yang bertindak laiknya asisten virtual ini merupakan pengembangan teknologi pengenalan suara yang diakuisisi Apple pada 2010 silam.

Siri segera saja menarik perhatian karena kemampuan berbicara dan meresponsnya yang alamiah seperti manusia.

Dan sejak itu, mulai banyak yang berupaya menghadirkan Siri di iPhone lama secara ilegal. Seperti yang dilakukan pengembang aplikasi iOS bernama Steven Troughton Smith, dia mencobanya agar bisa digunakan di iPhone 4.

Namun karena sejatinya dirancang ekslusif untuk iPhone 4S, Siri di iPhone 4 tidak berjalan mulus. Smith mengaku masih membutuhkan driver khusus untuk GPU di iPhone 4.



( rns / ash )

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ASEAN Summit 2011, Telkom Siapkan Bandwidth 4 Gb

ASEAN Summit 2011, Telkom Siapkan Bandwidth 4 Gb

Jakarta - Telkom dipercaya untuk menyediakan akses data pada ASEAN Summit 2011 yang digelar di Bali 9-19 November 2011. Biar lancar, bandwidth internet sebesar 4 Gb pun digelontorkan untuk melayani ribuan pengunjung yang akan datang.

Tak hanya dipercaya untuk menyediakan layanan internet, Telkom sebagai BUMN telekomunikasi itu juga wajib akses suara dan video bagi para stasiun televisi.

"Kita sudah siapkan dua satelit, satu yang terhubung dengan satelit Telkom 1 dan satu lagi untuk backup menggunakan satelit China," kata Rinaldi Firmansyah, Presiden Director Telkom.

Untuk menayangkan siaran televisi, Telkom menunjuk TransTV sebagai pusat distribusi siaran ke berbagai stasiun televisilainnya.

"Semua, termasuk dari televisi internasional seperti CNN," tambah Rinaldi yang saat ini sedang memeriksa kesiapan jaringan Telkom di Bali Nusa Dua Convention Centre (BNDCC), Rabu (9/11/2011).

Untuk koneksi internet bagi pengunjung, peserta, hingga para awak media, Telkom mengklaim menyediakan bandwidth sebesar 4 Gb yang dibagi dalam empat jalur, dua sebagai jalur utama dan dua lainnya untuk backup.

"Meski backup, tapi keduanya dioperasikan juga secara bersamaan, jadi totalnya ada 4 Gb. Jadi kalau ada empat ribu orang mengakses dalam waktu bersamaan, masing-masing akan mendapatkan bandwidth 1 Mb," tandas Rinaldi.

ASEAN Summit 2011 rencananya akan dihadiri oleh sejumlah kepala negara dari wilayah ASEAN, selain itu presiden Amerika Serikat Barack Obama juga dijadwalkan akan hadir dalam acara tersebut.

"Ya, kami mohon doanya saja agar semuanya bisa lancar," tandas Rinaldi.




( eno / rou )

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Siri On Older iPhones? No Siree

If you're hoping to one day install Apple's new voice Relevant Products/Services-activated data Relevant Products/Services assistant on your old iPhone, the answer is likely no siree. Or, no Siri.

According to a report, Apple has confirmed that the application Relevant Products/Services -- which lets you manage Relevant Products/Services your schedule, search for Web sites or get quick answers to questions via voice commands or inquiries -- is for new hardware adopters only.

No Current Plans

"Siri only works on iPhone 4S and we currently have no plans to support older devices," Apple apparently told a user in response to a bug report, or user message, which was posted on the blog of Michael Steeber, a Mac enthusiast.

The response was to a suggestion from the unnamed user that Apple create a special version of iOS 5, released on Oct. 12, that would allow iPhone 4 users and fourth-generation iPod Touch users to access Relevant Products/Services Siri for a $19.99 fee.

Apple did not respond to an e-mail inquiry about using Siri on older devices in time for publication.

Siri has proved to be an enormously popular application and the primary differentiator between the 4S and its predecessor, in addition to a better camera, faster processor and improved antenna design. Originally offered via the App Store with more limited capability, Siri was acquired by Apple in April 2010, which prevented its development for other platforms. The program is now integrated into iOS 5 to allow interaction with many other apps Relevant Products/Services and features.

The popularity and high usage may be one reason why the Siri server shut down briefly last week, causing the system to apologize to users by saying, "Sorry I am having trouble connecting to the network Relevant Products/Services," a temporary embarrassment to Apple that likely will have no effect on sales of the iPhone 4S.

Whether or not the improved Siri will work on older iOS versions or older devices running iOS 5 has been the subject of much speculation and quite a bit of jailbreaking attempts, seen in videos posted online that seem to show older devices running a port of the application.

Can It Work?

But many believe that Siri needs the right work environment to be effective, and Apple, as typified by the late CEO Steve Jobs, is famously obsessive about the quality of its user experience.

"Siri is processor intensive and the 4S is likely the minimum it will reliably run on," said Rob Enderle, principle technology analyst at Enderle Group. "They will carry it forward, I doubt they will push it back."

The 4S has a dual-core, A5 processor that Apple says delivers twice the processing power of the iPhone 4's A4.

Enderle also noted that Siri on an iPhone 4 would decrease the rationale for an upgrade.

"In the end, Apple is in the business of getting people to buy new hardware," Enderle said. "They have little incentive to upgrade old hardware anyway."